Exposure to and Impact of Unhealthy Food Marketing on Adolescents and Young Adults: A Narrative Review and Research Agenda.

Abstract

Consumption of unhealthy food has become a leading cause of premature deaths and preventable illnesses around the world. Research shows that marketing by the companies that produce, distribute, and sell unhealthy foods and beverages is associated with increased consumption of these products. To date, however, limited research has focused on the cumulative exposure and impact of various modes of marketing employed to reach distinct populations. In this narrative review, we summarize 25 years of scientific evidence and findings from 108 empirical studies and 19 systematic and scoping reviews of various forms of unhealthy food marketing to adolescents (aged 13 to 17) and young adults (aged 18 to 25). These are populations often targeted by food advertising, globally. The review offers insights into young people's exposure to unhealthy food marketing, how this exposure and its impacts vary by age, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity, and what is known about the cumulative effects of multi-platform food marketing. Our findings reveal patterns of disproportionate exposure among lower-income and racial/ethnic minority youth, especially Black and Latinx adolescents in the U.S., across different media platforms. Additionally, more than 90% of impact studies in our sample found that exposure to unhealthy food marketing is associated with higher consumption of advertised products, with social media influencer marketing gaining an increasingly prominent role. Despite emerging evidence on multi-platform marketing, cumulative exposure remains insufficiently researched. Based on these findings, we suggest paths for future research to reduce the harmful impact of marketing unhealthy food and beverages to young people.